Call: 01392 678082

Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust

Latest news

Recent projects

  • Latest news

    14 May 2026

    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project

    At Ruddlesden geotechnical, we often provide work experience to university students over the summer. This pleases both parties, as it provides them with invaluable industrial experience and a bit of pocket money, and helps us cover staff holidays, as well acting as an extended job interview, should a suitable vacancy arise in the future.This summer, we are particularly looking forward to welcoming Bailey, from the University of Portsmouth, who will be doing his MSc dissertation with us. He will be working and extending on an on-going project of ours. He will be reviewing all of our soakaway testing data and correlating this with the published geology, and then asking the question, and potentially providing the answer: does BRE soakaway testing need to be carried out in certain geologies?We have been reliably informed that he is a GIS whizz and are hopeful that he is what the project needs to take it to the next level.

    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project
    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project

  • Recent projects

    Geotechnical Considerations for Basement Construction for Proposed Hospital

    For a proposed basement car park at a hospital in Dorset, Ruddlesden geotechnical were commissioned to undertake a geotechnical investigation. The geotechnical investigation indicated that a thick succession of river gravels was present beneath the site, for the base of the proposed basement. Widespread collapse of strata was observed in machine-excavated trial pits during the investigation and elevated groundwater pressures were recorded during subsequent groundwater monitoring. In light of the ground conditions encountered, it was recommended that a top-down construction approach be undertaken, e.g. using a secant bored pile wall, to mitigate the effects of collapsible ground and the need to dewater excavations. It was also considered that, depending on the weight of the proposed structure, tensioned piles might be required to resist flotation of the structure as a result of the high groundwater pressures.

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  • Recent projects

    Pre-Purchase Phase 1 Contamination Assessment

    Phase 1 Contaminated Land Assessment for the proposed redevelopment of a brownfield site in Devon, as part of the pre-purchase appraisal for the construction of a new supermarket. The site had numerous historical industrial land uses, including an iron foundry, gas works and an engineering works, as well as documented evidence of historical contamination of the ground, associated with an adjacent gas works. The production of the Phase 1 was crucial to understanding the potential development (and cost) constraints at this site for the client, prior to purchasing, and formed the basis of the scope of works for the Phase 2 Contamination Investigation.

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